Geranium plant named Lilly

ABSTRACT

A geranium plant named Lilly having violet-red flower color, variegated with dark purple; early flowering; good bud production at night temperatures up to 16° C., thus providing a long and continuous flowering period; ease of propagation and good rooting habit; compact growth habit; good resistance against parasites.

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of geranium,botanically known as Pelargonium domesticum, and hereinafter referred toby the cultivar name Lilly.

Lilly is a product of a planned breeding program which had the objectiveof creating new geranium cultivars having compact growth habit, earlyflowering, long lasting flowers, good flower production, relativelysmall foliage, good resistance against parasites, and bright violet-redflower color.

Lilly was originated from a hybridization made by applicant in acontrolled breeding program in Bisamberg, Austria in 1978. The femaleparent was a cultivar designated as seedling 8/73 having a compactgrowth habit and single lilac flowers. The male parent of Lilly wasFruhling/75, a cultivar similar to the variety Fruhling but with morestable foliage and lighter colored petals.

Lilly was discovered and selected as one flowering plant within theprogeny of the stated cross by applicant on Feb. 2, 1977 in a controlledenvironment in Bisamberg, Austria.

The first act of asexual reproduction of Lilly was accomplished whenvegetative cuttings were taken from the initial selection on Aug. 29,1977 in a controlled environment in Bisamberg, Austria by a technicianworking under formulations established and supervised by WolfgangKirmann. Horticultural examination of selected units initiated in thespring of 1978 has demonstrated that the combination of characteristicsas herein disclosed for Lilly are firmly fixed and are retained throughsuccessive generations of asexual reproduction.

Lilly has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions.The phenotype may vary significantly with variations in environment suchas temperature, light intensity, and day length. The followingobservations, measurements and comparisons describe plants grown inBisamberg, Austria under conditions which approximate those generallyused in commercial practice.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe basic characteristics of Lilly, which in combination distinguish thisgeranium as a new and distinct cultivar.

1. Bright violet-red flower color, variegated with dark purple.

2. Early flowering response and long flowering period.

3. Propagates well, with very good rooting habit.

4. Medium green foliage.

5. Compact growth habit; good bud production.

6. Good resistance against parasites, particularly white fly.

7. Tolerance to overwatering in cultivation.

8. Buds are produced under normal greenhouse conditions (5000 Lux for 16hours per day) at 14°-16° C. This is well above the cooler temperaturesrequired for previous domesticum varieties. In addition, plants floweredindoors can be transplanted outdoors and will continue blooming at nighttemperatures as high as 16° C. Known domesticum cultivars will producebuds outdoors only at night temperatures of 10° C. or lower.

9. Lilly is unique with regard to the combined features of compactness,continuous flowering, floriferous habit, and violet-red flower color.

Of the many commercial cultivars known to the present inventor, the mostsimilar in comparison to Lilly is Fruhling, an unpatented but commercialcultivar. In comparison to Fruhling, Lilly has a more compact growthhabit, earlier and more continuous flowering, different flower color,and more stable foliage.

The accompanying photographic drawings show typical flower and foliagecharacteristics of Lilly, with colors being as true as possible withillustrations of this type.

Sheet 1 is a perspective view of a potted plant of Lilly.

Sheet 2 is a black and white print showing the upper surface of immatureand mature plants of Lilly.

In the following description color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart (RHS). The color values weredetermined at 9:00 a.m. on May 23, 1985 under 35,000 Lux light intensityin a greenhouse at Hillscheid, Federal Republic of Germany.

Classification:

Botanical.--Pelargonium domesticum.

Commercial.--Commonly referred to as a "Martha Washington" geranium, andhaving the cultivar name Lilly.

INFLORESCENCE

A. Umbel:

Average diameter.--Relatively small, 85-95 mm.

Peduncle length.--Normal.

Pedicel length.--Normal.

B. Corolla:

Average diameter.--55-65 mm; total inflorescence diameter is well withinthe foliage.

Form.--5 petals, symmetric; generally round.

Color (general tonality from a distance of three meters).--Violet red,with small, dark purple variegation on upper two petals.

Color (upper surface).--63B-60D, throat showing 59A.

C. Bud:

Shape.--Oval.

Color.--Lilac.

D. Reproductive Organs:

Androecium.--Yellow, 7-9 stamens.

Gynoecium.--Five to eight lobed stigma.

E. Spring flowering response period: Very early.

F. Durability: Good.

PLANT

A. Foliage:

Form.--Zygomorphic with a nectar spur.

Margin.--Crenate.

Color (upper surface).--Medium green.

Tolerance of Botyrtis and soil fungi.--Good.

B. General appearance and form:

Internode length.--Medium short.

Branching pattern.--Good.

Height.--Compact.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of geranium named Lilly, asdescribed and illustrated, and particularly characterized by itsviolet-red flower color, variegated with dark purple; early flowering;good bud production at night temperatures up to 16° C., thus providing along and continuous flowering period; ease of propagation and goodrooting habit; compact growth habit; and good resistance againstparasites.